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Application for a study abroad

Students who would like to go abroad through an exchange program at Pforzheim University first undergo an internal application and selection process. Here you can find everything about the application process and the application documents to be submitted as well as the link to the online application process.

Please apply online at the International Office for study abroad. Please note our study places at our partner universities abroad and apply for study abroad in due time. Selection and nomination is done by the International Office. In case of an independent nomination attempt at the partner university, you will be immediately excluded from the application process.

If you are already in your 6th semester at the time of your application, please submit a study plan by mail, listing the courses you would like to take during the semester abroad (except for IB and IM courses).

For your orientation, you will find a "hit list" of the partner universities with the priorities of the applicants of the last years.


Places are allocated depending on the availability of exchange places for the period concerned.

The following selection criteria are generally used as a basis for evaluation:

    Academic performance (Bachelor's preliminary examination grade*)
    Language skills (TOEFL ITP min. 560**)
    if applicable, foreign bonus (selection is made by ASTA)

**If you have already registered for a TOEFL test and your result will be available after the deadline, please upload a Word document with your matriculation number and the date and institution where you will take this TOEFL test.

Please first check with your program director which quotas are available in your program. The creditable ECTS must be recorded in a Learning Agreement (does not yet have to be signed by the university coordinator and AAA) and confirmed by the program director. In principle, it is expected that a minimum of 24 ECTS in European countries or a minimum of 22 ECTS in non-European countries are taken for credit.

Please apply regularly at the International Office via the online system. If you have received a quota slot, please indicate the partner university and tick the box quota.

Only applicants who have had a prior interview with your program director and have determined the number of ECTS credits they will receive can be accepted.

 

SELECTION PROCESS

via quotas

Selection is based on contingent places and your program director can confirm your place. You will receive an e-mail from the International Office with the selection result as well as information on how to proceed (enrollment, funding opportunities, etc.).

Documents for Application

Please apply online, via our online application form. The procedure is described further down in the text. Please note that you can only apply once per semester.

Only complete applications (incl. TOEFL >560, Bachelor Vorpüfungsnote) that we receive before the application deadline can be considered.

Please upload the completed insurance statement and travel safety information with your application. You do not need to have insurance yet. This document is only for you to inform us that you are going to insure yourself.

Proof of Insurance

 

If, at the time of application to the International Office, you still have an outstanding examination from your first or second semester (second or third attempt), it is still possible to apply for a semester abroad. However, you will need a written statement from your program director in which he/she confirms that you may apply for the semester abroad. In addition, the exams must be taken as soon as possible and passed in the semester that has just begun. If in doubt, please contact the International Office for further information.

Please note that without a Bachelor's preliminary examination grade, there is no main selection criteria and therefore all students with a Bachelor's preliminary examination grade are given priority in the selection process.

Master students: Master's students have the possibility to upload their Bachelor's transcript including the final average grade.

Usually we accept the Institutional TOEFL ITP (score min. 560 - equivalent to B2 level) or for other languages a comparable proof on min. B2 level. In our overview for accepted English certificates you will find the accepted tests. Please note that the TOEFL ITP is not accepted by some of our partner universities. Some universities in the USA require an official TOEFL IBT test (Auburn and Utah). Universities in the UK and Australia mainly require additional confirmation from the International Office that students have sufficient English language skills. Hong Kong University and Yonsei University also require an official TOEFL IBT. MCI Innsbruck does not accept the TOEFL ITP either. An online English test must be taken at the time of application.  You will receive more information once you have been selected for one of these partner universities.


If you are pursuing a Bachelor's degree taught entirely in English or have participated in an English-language program abroad for at least 2 years as part of your studies, you may be exempt from the English requirement.

If you are a new (1st semester) Master's student in Pforzheim and there are problems with timely proof of language proficiency due to deadlines, please contact the International Office as soon as possible.

If you have already registered for a TOEFL test (the test must be taken prior to the deadline) and your result will be available after the deadline, please upload a Word document with your matriculation number and the date and institution where you will take this TOEFL test.

The 0.5 "Auslandsbonus" is given every semester to particularly committed members of the initiatives and university groups. The application is made centrally via the AStA, contact persons are the executive boards of the respective groups and initiatives. Of primary importance are the time invested and the responsibility assumed as well as the benefit to the student body.

Notes on data protection

Your data will be stored for internal use. An overview of your rights according to DSGVO can be found in our privacy policy.

For the organization of a semester abroad, it is essential to pass on the data, e.g. to the host university or, if applicable, to scholarship providers (DAAD). However, the data will only be stored for the purpose of processing the semester abroad or the scholarship.

By submitting the online form, you agree to the data processing as described.

ulars stimmen Sie der Datenverarbeitung wie beschrieben zu.

Online Application

Important information for Engneering and Management

Please select as a business engineer at Faculty WING - Business Engineering, this will give you access to all partner universities of the Business School as well as the Faculty of Engineering. Please note that if you choose a university of the Business School, you can only take courses at the Business School there.

You can check the available exchange programs here.

Since the new system is still under construction, it may happen that a partner university does not appear in the online application but is available on the exchange program list. If this is the case, please let the AAA know.

 

Tips and Hints:

Campus Selection:

If a college has multiple campuses, please indicate which campus you would like to go to in the Comments field. Otherwise, you will be assigned to one campus.

Language Requirements:

Please be sure to check that you meet the university's language requirements before applying. Especially in South America and Spain, Spanish proficiency is often a requirement for a semester abroad.

Additional Notes:

When distributing places, requests regarding joint semesters abroad with fellow students cannot be considered.

 


New Partner Universities:


ESIC University - Madrid, course offerings in English and Spanish, www.esic.edu/en/university/international/students/incoming-students

CUNEF University - Madrid, courses offered in English and Spanish, www.cunef.edu/en/international-experience/information-incoming-students/

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana - Bogota, courses offered in Spanish, www.javeriana.edu.co/recursosdb

Exchange suspended:

University of Michigan Flint

Brock University

California State University Chico

Important Information Erasmus Funding

Unfortunately, we have received bad news for Erasmus funding: Erasmus funding for the academic year 24/25 will be significantly reduced. This reduction may mean that we will not be able to fund all students who will be doing a semester abroad in the EU in the academic year 24/25.

We will not be notified of the funding amount for the academic year 24/25 until June 2024, so we will not be able to give feedback until then whether everyone will receive funding or whether we may have to select. Therefore, we strongly advise you to search for alternatives (HAW scholarship, international BAföG) as early as possible.

Information on how to proof the TOEFL ITP

Due to the change of language test provider, the TOEFL ITP tests will not be taken until the end of November/beginning of December. The language test result can also be submitted after the application deadline. If you have already applied for a TOEFL test and your score will be available after the deadline, please upload a Word document listing your matriculation number and the date and institution where you will take this TOEFL test.

Step 1- Fill in the online application form

Here you will find the online form to apply for a semester abroad. Please fill it out including your priorities.

Please make sure you select correct academic year and semester for your semester abroad.

Attention: If you have been selected for a double degree, please do not apply under the link above! The application is done in a separate online form! (see below)

Step 2 - Register in Mobility Online & upload the required documents

After you have successfully sent the online form, you will receive an e-mail asking you to register in Mobility Online. After you have registered, you will enter your own area, the so-called workflow. Here you have to upload your personal master data as well as the required documents by the respective deadline.

Once you have registered, you can log in to the system at any time to complete your data or view the progress in the workflow.

Login: Mobility Online.

Application for a Double Degree

If you have been selected for a double degree in Europe, please register here.

If you have been selected for a double degree outside Europe, please register here.


Once you have submitted the online form, registration is also required (as described in step 2).

Once registered, you can log back into the system at any time to complete your data or view your progress in the workflow.

Logging in Mobility Online.